5 Healthy Habits That Can Bring a Glow to Your Face

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5 Healthy Habits That Can Bring a Glow to Your Face

Guest post by Michele Lowe

Gone are the times where health was relegated to the backseat of our minds. The coronavirus pandemic has forced us to rethink our priorities, and thinking about our health in general is at the forefront of our day-to-day thoughts. For many, facial health is a critical component of a healthy lifestyle. Experts suggest that most individuals also associate a healthy facial glow with self-confidence.

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Sopa de Mora (harvest recipe)

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Sopa de Mora (harvest recipe)

Last summer I hired my neighbor’s gardener to create a pea gravel walkway in my back yard. The morning of the job, he showed up with his wife Doris* and another friend and got to work. It was one of the few occasions when I was willing to sit back and let someone else handle all the labor for a change. While the guys were working, Doris took a break to show me a frog she found in the yard, and like two giddy schoolgirls, we fawned over the poor thing (who had almost ended up flattened under one of the guys’ boots) and shared our insights into the nature of these creatures in her broken English and my broken Spanish. As the men continued to work and I came out again to respond to their questions and look at the progress of the walkway, Doris pointed out a weed that was growing in my yard and told me it was mora. She said that you could eat it and that in her country (El Salvador), they cooked it in a soup. Intrigued, I resolved to find out more.

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Could Hemp Oil Benefit Your Pets?

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Could Hemp Oil Benefit Your Pets?

guest post by Kalki Henrietta

Yes, hemp oil for pets is a thing.

There are already many wonderful benefits to using different kinds of oils for humans, but did you know that hemp oil can also be helpful for pets? Hemp oil is produced by cold pressing the seeds of the hemp plant. Since it is derived from an organic plant, hemp oil may contain hints of cannabinoids.

Before you freak out about that tiny detail, let’s clear up a common misconception: hemp oil is derived from the seed of the cannabis plant while its counterpart—cannabidiol (CBD) oil—is derived from different parts of the plant, such as the stalk and the leaves. While both are sometimes associated with producing mind-altering effects, in fact, they don’t do this at all. Instead, they only produce an entourage effect -- and not the bad kind!

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10 Simple Healthy Living Tips for Seniors During COVID-19

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10 Simple Healthy Living Tips for Seniors During COVID-19

Guest post by Melissa Andrews

It has been over a year since the Covid-19 pandemic changed our lives. Businesses, organizations, governments, and industries have had to make adjustments to ensure their employees' and communities' health and safety and keep their operations in order. Individually, we’ve had to learn how to cope with the new normal as well.

In addition to the frontline workers, seniors have also had to exert extra effort to adapt to the changes brought about by Covid-19. They are, after all, one of the populations most vulnerable to experiencing severe health complications from this virus. If you are a senior or have a senior loved one, you know how important it is to follow health and safety protocols to mitigate the risks of getting the virus. Although a major part of the population in the US has already been vaccinated, Covid-19 is still very much around. As such, now more than ever, a healthy senior lifestyle is vital.

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Veggie-stuffed zucchini boats

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Last summer and fall I struggled with my zucchini plants, and if you’ve been a regular reader of the blog, you may remember that my first *perfect* zucchini was followed by months of disappointment in which none of my zucchinis grew to maturity. This year started out much better, with my zucchini plants growing happily in their raised bed home and producing an abundance of vegetables. Finally, I seem to be getting that bumper crop that I have heard so many other food growers talk about! This means that in addition to the piles of fried zucchini squash blossoms I ate last year, this year I’m able to enjoy meals made with the actual zucchini from my garden.

Growing zucchini can be a challenge

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5 Low-Prep Activities That Kids Can Do in Their Own Backyards

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5 Low-Prep Activities That Kids Can Do in Their Own Backyards

Guest post by Heather Neves

The pandemic has forced many kids and adults indoors. Too much time indoors increases the incidence of asthma and allergies in kids, especially those whose homes have poor air quality. Nowadays, parents are coming up with many ideas for activities and entertainment that will keep their children preoccupied indoors. But no matter how much a parent tries, it is not always possible to come up with new, fresh, and fun ideas. It is also not good for children to be constantly stuck in front of the television or playing video games on mobile phones, as too much screen time can lead to vision problems, attention disorders, and weight gain. Most of the time, it is good for children to get outside and play in the backyard so that they can get some fresh air. But a big question for parents these days is what their children will do if they need to spend a long time in the backyard. This post suggests several activities that kids can do in their own backyards.

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The Impact of Black Mold Exposure on Your Health

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The Impact of Black Mold Exposure on Your Health

Guest post by Claire Zimmerman

Black mold can grow on different surfaces around your house and it might be the cause of certain health concerns without you realizing it. Therefore, you must understand what mold is and what it can do to your health and that of your loved ones. By learning about this, you can identify the signs and symptoms of mold exposure and make sure you tackle the issue before it compromises your health.

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10 Tips for Physical Activity at Home

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10 Tips for Physical Activity at Home

Guest post by Kevin Nelson

(all images from Pixabay)

A home is a place where people love eating, sleeping, and doing all other lazy activities that they cannot do in the outside world. If you, too, believe in this notion, then it’s high time you change your thoughts. For every individual, being active at home is equally important for health. Keep reading for the best tips for physical activity at home!

Physical fitness has always been an integral part of healthy living. With the recent pandemic situation, building up a fit body and strong immune system has become more vital. Regular physical activity at home is very important. In this post, we have shared 10 tips on how you can stay physically active at home. Read on to know more about physical activity at home!

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6 Ways in Which Cannabis Can Improve the Quality of Life for Seniors

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6 Ways in Which Cannabis Can Improve the Quality of Life for Seniors

Do you know how the average life expectancy in the US was increased by almost 30 years between 1900 and 2000? Although these figures are about the quantity, it doesn't mean we're going to skip the quality. There's a miserable cycle of life. You grow up, get married, have children, they grow up, get married, and move out, what then? What happens after that?

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Is a Meat-heavy diet really harmful to your health?

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Is a Meat-heavy diet really harmful to your health?

These days, many health practitioners and healthy lifestyle advocates are praising the benefits of a plant-based diet. As the famous quote from Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma, wrote, “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” He also noted that “You are what you eat eats.” This simple statement, highlighting the connection between human health and the consumption of animal products, essentially recognizes that when we eat meat products, we are also consuming what those animals consume. This fact, coupled with the sad state of animal husbandry practices in the United States and other countries whose commercial operations received a failing grade in the Animal Protection Index from the global organization, World Animal Protection, suggests that consumption of animal products can carry serious health risks. But does it mean that diets that are meat-heavy are inherently bad for you? We explored some of the science-backed evidence to find out.

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7 Tips to Eat Healthy When You Don't Have Time to Eat

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7 Tips to Eat Healthy When You Don't Have Time to Eat

Guest post by Leon Collier

We all move fast in a high-speed carousel and with that haste, we forget that one of our vital necessities is to feed ourselves.

Even if we can't change the way we work at the moment, we can use a few tricks when we don't have the time to cook a lavish meal.

It seems that we have no choice but to identify quick and effective ways to integrate healthy eating habits into the busy daily schedule. You’ll discover it in our recommendations, and along the way, you’ll also find ingenious solutions that can work for you.

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Plant-based diets: can they help reduce chronic inflammation and its associated diseases?

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Plant-based diets: can they help reduce chronic inflammation and its associated diseases?

Globally, the incidence of end-stage diseases that are caused by chronic inflammation are on the rise. Many of the foods that are consumed daily in a typical Western diet, including processed foods, dairy, meat, and/or trans fats, cause chronic inflammation, which lead to life-threatening diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, asthma and stroke. There is a growing body of clinical evidence that clearly demonstrates that switching to a plant-based diet can greatly reduce your chances of developing one of these end-stage diseases, although this does not mean that you have to give up meat or animal products altogether. In fact, the current landscape of debate on veganism, vegetarianism, and meat-heavy diets is muddied by polemics, making it difficult for the average person to make an informed choice. So what does the science actually say about the effects of plant-based diets on chronic inflammation and its associated diseases?

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Easy Peasy Meals Your Kids Will Love

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Easy Peasy Meals Your Kids Will Love

As a parent, you’ve got a lot on your plate. Work, homeschooling, and juggling everyday chores are just a few tasks that might be bogging down your to-do list. You don’t have time to cook a fancy dinner every night, but at the same time, you want your family to have a home-cooked meal. The solution? A handful of healthy meals for kids that you can whip up at the last minute. Here are some of our favorite healthy dishes that you and your kids will love.

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